Compressing machine



Jan. 8 1924 C. 'L. KNOTT ET AL QGOMPRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1920 -9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

C. L. KNOTT ET AL.

COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1920 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fi 3. 5a

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.Fan. 8 1924 COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1,920 9 sheets shee t 4 Jan. 8; 1924 1, 79,795

.c. L. KNOTT ET AL COMPRESSING MACHINE Wi/M Jan. 8, 1924. 1,479,195

. C. L.'KNOTT ET AI COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1920 r9 Sheets-Sheet e c. KNOTT ET AL COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug- 24, 1920 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jan. 8, 1924- I 1,479,795 c. L. KNQTT ET AL couPREssING MACHINE File'q m 24, 1920 e Sheets-Sheet a Y Y K 1/5 T RQ Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE? CLYDE L. KNOTT AND EDWARD ER ICKSON', 015 BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGIVORS T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEYfA COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OOMPRESSING- MACHINE. I

Application filed August 24, 1920. Serial No. 405,590.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, CLYDE L. KNOTT and EDWARD EnIoKsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Compressing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to compressing machines and, in the embodiment selected for illustration and description herein, is shown as applied to a machine for compressing or condensing flat articles or blanks of sheet material such, for example, as heel lifts.

, The improvement of top lifts for the heels of boots and shoes by compression or condensation is very extensively practised and the present invention has an important application in machines for this purpose. One type of compressing machine in extensive use has a blank compressing mold carried by a vertically reciprocable, toggle actuated cross head and co-operating with a stationary die. In order to attain the necessary pressure the parts of such a machine, including the moving parts, must be very rigid and heavy and, as a result, the speed of operation is limited. One important object of the present invention is to produce a compressing machine which shall be capable of greatly increased speed of operation and will consequently have a much larger output than the machines heretofore used. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention this object is attained in a machine having a plurality of compressing molds movable successively into blank receiving position and capable of a complete cycle of movement in approximately the same time required by machines of the type above referred to for one complete reciprocation. The natural result of this is that the output of the machine is increased as many fold as there are compressing moldsthere being three such molds in the illustrated machine which, consequently, has approximately three times the productive capacity of the machines now in commercial use. The molds are preferably mounted upon a rotary car rier, which is provided with mechanism for turning it continuously in the same direction. Inthe present invention the, difficulty of securing in a rotary machine the. very heavy pressure required in the treatmentof the blanks has been successfully overcome by actuating the compressing die by toggle mechanism. carried by, and moving with, the rotating .mold carrier. As shownfin the drawings, a separate toggle is provided for each-mold and the entire mold and toggle mechanism is contained within the periphery of the carrier, the toggle pressure reacting upon the carrier casting. It thus becomes practicable to make a very powerful compressing mechanism of minimum weight.

Important features of the invention are concerned with mechanism for feeding blanks to the compressing molds, improved mold mechanism affording increased strength and durability, and other features of im+ provement which will become'apparent from reading the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is .a view in front elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from the right of Fig. 1; v v p g Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, upon the line 3-3 of Fig.1; 7 I I Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe rotor with parts broken away to reveal the internal construction of the molds, the plane from which the view is taken being upon approximately the line 4.4 0f Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in front elevation. showing the lower end of the blank Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing more fully parts of the internal mechanism not clearly revealed in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 's a section upon the line 88 of Fig. 1, showing the mechanism for controlling the application of power to the machine Fig. 9 is an inverted plan viewfof detail of the blank feeding mechanism; 1

Fig. 10 is a section uponthe I of Fig. 9;

ing screwed into the other; By rotating the die supporting member 72 by means of a spanner wrench inserted in the holes above the pins 76 rotation will be imparted to the member 74 through the said pins and by this neans the ring 122 will be adjusted vertically with respect to the member 74. The ring 122 is a stop member to determine the upper limit of movement of the die support which it does by engagement with the fixed ring 118 and the purpose of the described adjustment is to compensate for shims 78 of various thicknesses which may be used, the end in view being that whenthe ejecting mechanism occupies the position shown in the lower right hand mold in Fig. 4 the lower surface of the lower die member 7 0 shall be flush with the lower surface of the mold member 64 so that the mold assemblage may be readily withdrawn from the machine. The yielding connection 124 between the members and 114 permits the cam 106 to operate fully regardless of the adjustment of the ring 122 and the said cam is designed to impart suflicient movement to the arm 110 to insure that the ring 122 shall always engage the stop ring 118 when the ejecting plunger is up. It is apparent that the supporting member 72 would in any event engage and be stopped by the, lower face of the mold member 64 when the plunger is elevated but if other means were not provided for limiting the upward movement of the plunger the pressure of the supporting member 72 against the mold member 64 would be sufficient to prevent the withdrawal of the latter when it was desired to change molds.

A stationary blank magazine 126 is ar ranged to contain a stack of the blanks to be operated upon. The magazine is supported by a stationary bracket 128 having a ring portion secured to a hub 130 formed upon the base 20 and in which the stationary shaft 22 is mounted, A plate 132 has a tongue and groove connection with the upper surface of the bracket 128 permitting it to be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. A binding bolt 134 serves to secure the plate 132 in adjusted position.

Two bracket members 136, 138 are adjustable transversely of the plate 132 by means of a right and left screw 140 and are secured in adjusted position upon the plate by binding bolts 142. Each of the bracket members 136, 138 carries one half of the magazine, said half consisting of an angular member 144 for engaging one breast corner of the lift and a plate 146 set at an angle of 45 to the breast edge of the lift for engaging the curved edge thereof.

It will be understood from the foregoing that by adjustment of the plate 132 the magazine as a whole may be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly of the machine and that by adjustment of the bracket members 136, 138 i the two halves of the magazine maybe adjusted toward or from each other to accommodate lifts of different widths. Only one other adjustment is required to make the magazine universally applicable to lifts of all sizes. and shapes and that is adjustment of the plates 146 toward and from the breast engaging members 144. The following provision is made for this adjustment. Each of the plates 146 is supported by a pair of properly shaped rods 150, 152, the ends of which are threaded into sleeves 154, 156 rotatably mounted in the suitable bearings. The, ends of the sleeves 154 are provided with bevel gears 156 meshing with corresponding bevel gears 158 secured to the ends of a connecting shaft 160. By rotating the sleeves 154, 156 which act as nuts upon the threaded portions of the rods 150, 152, the plate 146 is moved forwardly or rearwardly and by reason of the geared connections just described, is always maintained parallel to the member 144. Squared heads 162' are conveniently lo cated ,for engagement by a wrench to effect the necessary adjustments.

Referring now to Figs. -1 and 5 the left hand half of the magazine has provision for a limited amount of 'Vertical movement under conditions to be more fully described hereinafter. On this side of the magazine the shaft passes loosely through a pair of lugs projecting from the bracket member 136. The right hand faces of these lugs are also fiat and are slidab-ly engaged by a fiat face 172 upon the support for the blank engaging members constituting the left hand half of the magazine in the lower end of which is mounted the rotatable cam roll 174. By virtue of this construction the left hand half of the magazine is capable of rising and descending under the influence of a cam to be described later.

' The mechanism for removing blanks from the magazine and feeding them to the compressing molds will now be described. A picker is provided for each compressing mold, the said pickers acting in succession to remove blanks from the magazine and present them to the corresponding feeding mechanisms which transfer them to the molds in succession.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 176 indicates a picker arm pivoted at 178 to a bracket 180 projecting from the side of the frame which supports and guides the feed ing mechanism. The picker arm has an extension 182, the end of which is bifurcated to receive the end of a cam lever 184 carrying a cam roll 186. A yielding connection between the cam leverand picker arm is provided by apair of spring pressed plungers 188, 190. The cam roll 186 is ac tuated by a stationary cam 192 to impart the necessary movements to the pickerarm at the proper times.

such that they pass in succession beneath the magazine in position to remove blanks successively from the lower end thereof.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12 each picker member comprises a plate 19 Lsec'ured to the end of the picker arm by screws 196 and having upwardly and inwardly turned fingers 198, 200. The direction of motion of the picker is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 11. By removing the screws 196 other plates 19% of different sizes may be applied to provide for different sizes ofblan'ks to be handled. The magazine will be so adjusted that the edge of the finger 198 will pass just in front of the breast line of the lowermost heel lift in the magazine and as the picker advances, the finger 200 will engage the side edge'of the lift and remove it from the magazine. A pin 202 is secured in a slot 2O4E'by a thumb nut 206. By slackening the thumb nut the position of the pin 202 longitudinally of the slot may be changed and it is intended that the pin shall be so adjusted in the slot that it will afi'ord'a gage for the rear edge of the lift as the latter rests upon the picker plate. The picker plate supporting member 207 has a vertically slidable dove-tail oonnection208 With the end of the picker arm 176 and a compression spring 210 between the members 207 and 176 provides for relative yielding movement between the two. The pin 202 passes through a slot in a U-shaped presser member 212 adjustably secured in the end of the picker arm but incapableof yielding relatively thereto. The connection between the presser member 212 and the end of the pi'cker'arm comprises a clove tail connection 214:, permitting adjustment of the presser member for'wardly'and rearwardly relatively to the picker arm, 'the presser member being secured in adjusted position by a binding screw 216.

A stop screw 218 arranged to be engaged by an abutment 220 on the picker arm extension 182 provides for adjustment of the position occupied by the picker with relation to the magazine when it is about to remove a lift therefrom, as will be apparent from Fig. 5.

A stack of lifts in the magazine 126 is supported by the peripheral surface of a cylindrical drum 222 carried by a spider 224 secured by bolts 226tothe rotor member 60 and rotating therewith. Recesses 228 are provided in the periphery of the drum 222 for the reception of the pickers, and the proper adjustment of the stop screw 218 is such that when the'parts are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the upper surface of the plate 194 is substantially secant to the periphery of the drum and the upper face of a lift of aver- As is apparent front F 1g. 2 the path of rotation of the pickers is At intervals of 120 about its circ'umfer ence the'conical "extension 230 is intersected by planes parallel to its axis, forming flat, substantially triangular faces 232 in al'ine ment with the recesses 228'. The relation between the blank magazine and the conical extension 230 is such "that as the magazine is adjusted forwardly or rearwardly "of the machine by adjustment of the plate 132 the roll 174; bears upon portions of the cone 23O of respectively greater and smaller d'i' ameters.

The purpose of making the lerthand half of the magazine vertically movable will now be apparent. It will be understood that the lower ends of the members of the left *hand half of the magazine are located to permit the lowermost blank in the stack to be advanced toward the left beneath them to remove the said lift from the magazine while retaining the superposed lifts in stacked'relation in the magazine. toward the left from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, portions of the upper face of the lift being removed which are progressively nearer the axis of rotation will pass under the 'lower'ends of the left hand magazine members which must, therefore, be progressively lowered, inorder to preserve unchanged the spaced relation between their lower ends and the upper face of the said lift until the center of the lift passes under them, after which they must-be raised progressively until the lift has been completely removed from the magazine. Inasmuch as the center of the roll =17t-is sub stantially in alinement with the left hand edges of the lifts in the stack and the flat face 232 which passes under the roll, is parallel to and in 'alin'ement with the lift, the left hand magazine section will be raised and loweredin propertime relation to the movement of the liftto permit the removal of the lowermostlift-and insure'the retention of the remaining lifts on the stack. The triangular shape of the face 232 provides automatically for reduction of the duration of the up and downmovement'just described, when small lifts 'arebein'g handled, since in that case the'proper condition of ustment will locate the breast members 14a ofthe magazine further to the rear'of the machine than when large lifts are being handled and the roll 174 will consequently be engaged by a'narrowerpart' of the-triangular flat face 232. By reason of the conical shape of the member 280 the total rise and fall of the vertically movable magazine see- As the picker moves cient to describe one of them in detail.

tion will also be less as the magazine is adjusted toward the right, which is correct, since the extreme edges of a narrow lift project a less distance from the periphery of the drum 222 than do those of a wide lift.

The mechanism for removing a blank from the magazine having been described, we will now proceed to describe the means by which the blank is transferred from the picker to the compressing mold. By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the shape of the stationary cam 192 which controls the swinging of the picker arm about its pivot 178 is such that as rotation proceeds in the direction of the arrow the picker with the blank upon it will be moved from the position shown in full lines to that shown in broken lines. In the latter position the blank indicated by the reference character a will be pressed upwardly, flatwise, into the under side of the feeding device which is to transfer it to the mold.

The details of the feeding mechanism are.

best illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 6, 7 and 9. The three feeding mechanisms being identical in construction and operation, it will be suffi- Gear teeth 234 are cut in the periphery of the stationary cam. disk 102. A spur gear 236 meshes with the stationary gear 234 and moves around it in a planetary path. Secured to the shaft 238 of the gear 236 and rotating with the latter is a bevel pinion 240 which meshes with a larger bevel gear 242 (see Figs. 6 and 7). In the blank face of the bevel gear 242 is a crank pin 244 connected by the link 246 to a stud 248 mounted in a slide 250 which is movable forwardly and rearwardly of the machine in guide grooves formed in the supporting frame 252, being maintained in the said grooves by gibs 254. Upon the opposite end of the stud 248 is a loose pinion 256 which meshes with a stationary rack 258 secured to the frame 252 and with a rack 260 formed on the under side of a slide 262 guided for relative forward and rearward movement in a secondary slide 264. v

As illustrated in Fig. 3 the slide 264 is provided with bosses 266, 268 between which is located the boss 270 which projects u wardly from the slide 262. The-boss 2 0 carries spring pressed plungers 272 projecting in opposite directions in position to engage the bosses 266 and 268 forming a connection between the slides 262 and 264 which is yielding in both directions. It will be understood that rotation of the gear 242 will effect reciprocating movement of the slide 250 through the crank pin 244 and connecting rod 246 and that the rack and pinlon mechanism 256, 258, 260 will translate this reciprocating motion into reciprocating motion of the slide 262 through twice the distance moved by the slide 250.

The limit of the rearward movementof the slide 264 is determined by the engagement of a lug 274 projecting downwardly from the slide with the front face of that portion of the rotor casting 60 in which the compressing mold is located.- The connection between the slides 262 and 264' is capable of sufiicient yield to 'allow the slide 262 to overthrow somewhat and this is desirable in order to insure that all the back lash in the gearing and connections shall be taken up and that the stop lug shall engage that part of the member 60-which it is intended to strike. A blank engaging member 278 ismounted upon the slide 264 and is forwardly and rearwardly adjustable with relation thereto by virtue of a dove tail connection and a right and left screw 280 threaded into the lug'266 and a lug 282 depending from the slide 278. I

' A pair of blank edge guides 284- is-arranged for equal and opposite transverse adjustment by a T slot mounting 288 upon the member 278 and a pair of right and'left screws 290 which are geared together to operate simultaneously. Lugs 292 projecting inwardly from the guide members 284 engage the corners of the blank to move the latter rearwardly when the slide 264 moves in that directio As illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 5, the picker presses the lift a up .into the now inverted feeding mechanism locating it be tween the guide members 284 and back of the lugs 292, as shown at a in Fig. 9, whichshows the relation of the lift to the parts which engage it but shows the parts in a position which is assumed laterin the'operation of the machine. The lift is supported by a series offingers 294 :which extend from the member 278 and assume an interdigital relation to a set of stationary fingers 296 over which thelift passes on its way to the mold.

The purpose of the yielding mounting of the picker plate upon the end of the arm 176 will now be apparent, inasmuch as the spring 210 may yield to permit suflicient movement of the arm 176 to cause the presser member 212 which is rigid with the armto press the lift up against thefingers 294- The timing is such thattlie slide 264 is projected forwardly to lift receiving position at the time-when the parts reachthe position shown in broken linesin Fig-5. Immediately after the picker has delivered the lift to theslide the slide starts to move rearwardly, continuing until its movement is stopped by the stop lug 274 striking the casting 60, at which time the parts are in the relation shown in Figs. ,3 and 9,-the lift whose course through the machine we have been tracing being .in the position 1nd1- cated by a... .1,

Two yieldingly. mounted fingers 298,

- -pr'e'ssed-"d'ownwardly by springs 300, press advances. The fingers 298 are carriedupon i u-p'o'n the li'ft as it advances. When the lift has reached the position shown in Fig. 3 it has'p'assed the'shoul'ders 302 upon the lower edges of the fingers 298 and -is' posi tively prevented by the shoulders from moving forwardly "when the feed slide next and adjusted with'the guide m'einbers'QS t and the parts are'maintained in-a'ssembled relation by a pair of overhanging arms 304. The correct position of'the fingers 298 is as-shown'in Fig. 3, with their inner ends closelyadjacent'to' the edge of the mold a cavity; It will be understood that the edges of' the cavitiesof moldsofdiiferent sizes will occupy "different-positions and, therefore, provision "for longitudinal adjustment *Ofthe'fingers 298 is necessary whenmolds are changed. To thisend the='arms"304c, which determine the longitudinal position "of the fingers, are carried by 'a suitably ffo'rmed casting 305 '(see' Figs. '2 and 6) "which has a tongue and groove connection with the sup'p'orting'bracket 252, as indi- *cated" at 307. :By reason of'this tongue and "groove connection the casting 305,'together with the arms 304 and the mechanism-supported therebyfmay be adjustedlongitudinally until the inner endsofthe'fingers298 occupy the correctielation tothe edge of the-mold cavity, ,a bolt and binding nut 309 beingfpro'vi'ded forsecuring'the parts in their adjusted posit-ion. A's'uitablyl'graduated Scale {311 ".(seeFigJ 2) "enables the operator to determine theproper adjustmentfor the size of mold being used.

' The transfer of the lift from the" picker to the-compressing mold 'occurs'in two stages, Fig." 3 showing'the position of the liftat the end of the first stage. Aszalready explainedtheshoulders 302 upon the'fingers 298maintain' the lift in this position while during the next forward movement of the feed slide the spring pressed yielding fingers 306*(see Figs. 9 and 10) pass: around the"sideedges of thejli'ft" and engage the breastedge thereof. *On the neiit inward movement of the slide the lift "is fed in- "wa'rdl'y the'fingers 306 until,"at the end 16f the second stage,' it rea'ches theposition "occ'upied'by the lift 12 '(Figsf l and 9). In" v p g I pressing'mold. 'As the "r'otati'onofthe rotor continues thedastmentionedi fblankis H compressed and the feed slide moves; for- 'i'n jFig. 3. The guide' members 284are -this position the lift ,is' directly over the icompressingm'old, thelower die member *"of whic'his ready to 'receiveit, as shown beveled; as shown at '308 to permit the upper "compressing. die '84: to pass "between them "readily without'dan'ger of catching upon and. breaking them.

Whenthe ,Lift'has reached the position "lindieatedat 'b' the" plunger "86 descends, caus- "ing the lift to be forced into" the compressmold and subjected to. pressure During "the compressing operation' the feeding slide --1',eve,795

is again advanced during which time a' second palrof fingers 306, similar to the jfingers 306 passes around and moves past the -mold. Upon-the nextinward movement of the'feed slide to bring the-next lift to the compressing mold the compressed lift upon the die 70 is engaged by the fingers 3'06 and removed before/the incoming lift reaches the die. The .lift removed by thefingers 306 is-permitted to slide down a'nincline 310 and drop'into any con venientreceptacle beneath.

.312 indicates a'platform upo'irwhich the "rious figures "of the 'drawings. As each picker approaches the blank magazine it is turned by the'caml92 into position to pick the lowermost blankfrom the magazinegas. the blank is removed the left hand 'section 'of'zthe magazine is automatically lowered and elevated to control the delivery of'the blank. There being three pickers upon'the rotor, =three blanks will be removed from the magazine during each revolution.

After removing a blank fro'm the magazine the-picker arm isswung' by'its cam 1592 into the position sh'own in-b'roken linesin Fig. 5 pressing the'blank'up 'flatwise into the corresponding feeding mechanism. The feedslide is at thismom'ent projecting into blank receivingposition "and immediately after the receptionof theblank starts rearwardly, carr'yi-ng the blank through the first stage of its feeding movement and siniul- -taneously transferring the "blank received during the previous cy'c'le'ofthe' machine through" thesec'ond stage of its "feeding movement *and d'epositing it'in the 1 comwith thetransfer of a blank t 'the cempressing mold the previously.compressed "cavity is removed and allowedto-"slide down "the incline 310. V

' This" operation .is continued indefinitely, (R30 it being understood thatthefee'd slide-during each inward movement acts upon three blanks, viz, the one received from the picker and moved through the first stage of its path toward the compressing mold, the blank being moved through the second stage and delivered to the compressing mold, and the compressed blank being ejected from the machine.

While one specific object of the embodi ment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail it should be under stood that many of the features of the invention are capable of practical embodiment in forms other than the illustrative construction herein disclosed, which is shown and described by Way of illustration only and not by Way of limitation and that for a definition of the exact scope of the invention reference is to be had to the appended claims.

Having described our invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. A compressing machine having a plurality of compressing mechanisms, a blank magazine, and a plurality of mechanisms for transferring blanks from the magazme to the compressing mechanisms in succession.

2. A compressing machine having a single blankma'gazine, a plurality of compressing molds, and a correspondiiig plurality of successively operating mechanisms for removing blanks fromthe said magazine and transferring them to the respective molds.

3. A compressing machine having a mold carrier, a plurality of compressing molds upon the carrier, mechanism upon the carrier for feeding blanks to the molds in succession, a blank magazine, and means for removing blanks successively from the magazine and transferring them to the feeding mechanism.

4. A compressing machine having a mold carrier, a blank magazine, means for re moving blanks successively from the magazine, and a plurality of blank feeding mechanisms upon the carrier movable successively into blank receiving position, to receive blanks from said blank removing means.

5. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a compressing mold mounted upon the carrier, and mechanism mounted upon the carrier and movable relatively thereto for feeding a blank to the mold.

6. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a plurality of compressing molds mounted upon the carrier, and mechanism movable relatively to the carrier, mounted thereon and operated by rotation thereof, for feeding blanks to the molds.

7. A'compressing machine having a rotat ing mold carrier, a compressing mold mounted upon the carrier, and mechanism mounted upon the carrier, movable relatively thereto, and operated by rotation thereof for feeding a blank to the mold.

8. A compressing machine having a ro-- tating mold carrier, a compressing mold upon the carrier, and a blank feeding slide upon the carrier in co-operative relation to the mold.

9. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a plurality of molds upon the carrier, and mechanism on the carrier and movable relatively thereto for feeding blanks to all the molds.

10. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a plurality of compressing molds upon the carrier, and a corresponding plurality of' mechanisms on the carrier and movable relatively thereto for feeding blanks to the molds.

11. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a plurality of compressing mechanisms upon the carrier, a blank magazine, and means for transferring blanksfromthemagazine to the compressing mechanisms in succession.

12. A compressing machine having tating mold carrier, a compressin a romold mounted upon the carrier, mechanism on the carrier for feeding a blank to the mold, a blank magazine, and means for removing a lift from the magazine and transferring it to the feeding mechanism.

13. In a compressing machine, the coinbi nation of a magazine for holding fiat blanks, a compressing mold, a feeding device for feeding blanks to the mold, and means for removing a blank from the bottom of the magazine and pressing it flatvvise into the feeding device.

14:. In a compressing machine, the combination of a magazine for holding flat lifts, a compressing mold, a feeding device for feeding blanks to the mold, and a picker constructed and arranged to remove a blank edgevvise from the magazine and insert it flatvvise into the feeding device.

15. In a compressing machine, the combination of a blank containing magazine, multi-stage straight line feeding mechanism constructed and arranged to feed blanks under continuous control, and means for removing blanks successively from the mag azine and transferring them to the feeding mechanism.

16. Multi-stage blank feeding mechanism for compressing machines comprising means for feeding a blank to a predetermined position, means for holding the blank for a time at said position, and additional means for then feeding the blank further in an unbroken continuation of the same path.

17. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a blank magazine, means Ill for operating upon a blank, rotating means for removing a blank from the magazine, and rectilinearly moving means for receiving the blank from the blank removing means, supporting and feeding it to the op erating means.

18. In a compressing machine, the combination of a rotating mold carrier, a compressing mold upon the carrier, and mecha nism for feeding blanks in their own planes to the mold in the direction of the axis of rotation of the carrier.

19. In a compressing machine, the combination of a rotating compressing mold, a blank magazine, and means for removing a blank from the magazine in the direction of rotation of the mold and feeding it in its own plane to the mold in the direction of the axis ofrotation.

20. The combination, in a machine of the class described, of a magazine having a vertically movable side. a rotary picker for removing a blank from the bottom of the magazine and means for raising said movable side in timed relation to the action of the picker.

21. A bilaterally symmetrical lift magazine mounted for bodily adjustment longitudinally of the contained lifts and provided with means for adjusting the lateral halves of the magazine equally and oppositely toward or from each other.

22. A lift magazine comprising means for engaging the breast edges of contained lifts, a plurality of members for engaging-the rear edges of the lifts, and means for adjusting the several rear edge engaging members independently toward or from the breast edge engaging means.

28. A compressing machine having a movable mold carrier, a compressing mold mounted upon the carrier, mold actuating mechanism mounted upon the carrier for applying pressure to the face of a blank in the mold, and mechanism upon the carrier for feeding blanks to the mold.

24:. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a compressing mold mounted upon the carrier, mold actuating mechanism contained in the'carr'ier, and reacting upon the carrier, for applying pressure to the face of a blank in the mold, and mechanism upon the carrier for feeding blanks to the mold.

25. A compressing machine having a movable mold carrier, a plurality of compressing molds mounted upon the carrier, mechanism upon the carrier for actuating all of the molds to apply pressure to blanks contained therein, and meansupon the carrier for feeding blanks to all the molds.

26. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a plurality. of compressing molds mounted upon the carrier, separate means for actuating each mold to apply pressure to a blank contained therein, and separate means for feeding blanks to the respective molds.

27. A compressing machine having a rotating mold carrier, a. plurality of com pressing molds mounted upon the carrier, anda toggle supported entirely upon the carrier for actuating each mold to compress a blank contained therein.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

CLYDE L. KNOTT. EDWARD ERICKSON. 

